Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Smooth Operation

Well, we are here! We are in Salthouse Dock in the heart of Liverpoooool!!

As recommended by many boaters we had met we moored overnight at Bridge 10. Two other boats were already there when we arrived and, during the rest of the afternoon and evening, five others joined us so we were one of nine boats going into Liverpool on Wednesday morning.

As instructed, we were all ready and waiting at Bridge 9 near Aintree at 9am for our assisted passage. It was a smooth operation – the chaps from C&RT did their job brilliantly. When we set off we were 6th in the flotilla but, after being let through the next swing bridge, we found ourselves 2nd with Ken & Sandra leading the way. As with most urban sections of canal, human habitation has its downside – there was a lot of rubbish. Cans and bottles float – it doesn’t do too well to ponder on what doesn’t but we did end up with a lot of stuff around the prop! If there was an old-fashioned returnable amount of money on plastic bottles the world would be a better place! However, we have experienced much worse than this on the Coventry Arm, going through Leicester and on the section from Brentford to Paddington.

When we reached Eldonian Basin with the four Stanley Dock locks ahead of us, C&ART staff were there ready and waiting.

It was so easy! They did it all for us!!

As we left the locks we entered Stanley Dock passing the enormous Tobacco Warehouse which is a landmark for miles around and is apparently going to be converted into apartments. I think Ken said it contains something like 57 million bricks!!

We continued to follow the bollards – actually we didn’t – we followed Ken – and made our way through all the old docks. The Link is just 1.4 miles long, includes a narrow section contentiously nicknamed ‘Sid’s Ditch’, two new locks and three short tunnels and cost over £20 million!! It is becoming a more and more popular thing for boaters to do and there is now regular boat movement through and past Maghull which, in the past, had rightly or wrongly earned itself the reputation of being a ‘no-go’ area. Surely this is what re-generation of an area is all about?

Emerging from St Nicholas (patron saint of sailors I believe) tunnel, The Three Graces were right there! The Royal Liver Building, TheCunard Building and The Port of Liverpool Building – all fabulous! The modern Museum of Liverpool building is also very impressive.

We had to wait at Mann Island lock for the rest of the boats to catch us up and then C&ART let us all through to make our way to Salthouse Dock and our reserved berths.

To arrive at this famous location on our own boat has been an exciting adventure and, so far, one I would definitely recommend. Now we have the city of Liverpool to explore. Unfortunately, one thing that is not conveniently at hand is somewhere decent to walk a dog – they are not allowed anywhere in Albert Dock and the nearby Chavasse Park is very manicured and ornamental. We will have to have regular bus rides to Sefton Park I think. So, what with being surrounded by concrete and having to wear a silly jacket (albeit temporarily) Lola is not as impressed as we are!

Hi, Thanks for the comment. There seems to be "No Dog" signs where ever you try to access the dock areas. Did you ignore them? I must admit there doesn't seem to be any body enforcing but we've seen no other dogs around those areas. I think we've tried every access point but the signs are still there. It's a bugger! Bye for now.

Angela, my little fragrance I'm delighted to hear your journey into Liverpool was made so easy. However you should have pointed out that the gin swilling skippers barking orders from the back have no real notion of the word work. Only true lock winders, the surfs of society, know what REAL WORK is. Your delicate little fingers rubbed sore from all that winding to say nothing of your poor bum bruised and battered after bashing against balance beams that wont budge....

About Me

My seduction by all things to do with narrowboats and narrow boating began about thirty years ago. It was probably brought about by watching "The River". David Essex has a lot to answer for!
Anyway, we spent several years hiring boats but, when our offspring no longer wanted to come and the cost of hiring was becoming more and more prohibitive, we changed our allegiance to camper vans instead and loved that too.
However, we never lost sight of the vision that one day we would own our own narrowboat and, in 2003, we bought "Ellen" who was then five years old. We have it on good authority that she is the last boat to have been built by Les Allen & Sons of Valencia Wharf.
In 2007 we did that crazy/radical thing of selling our house, giving up our jobs and becoming liveaboard boaters. Like many mature ladies,"Ellen" is not perfect and not always easy to handle but we love her and she's the only boat we will ever have.
When we set off we had ten years in mind but ..... who knows?